Fire-escape.



0. SCHNITZLER 8L B. J. WELAGE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION IILBD MAY 12, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE MORRIS I-'nlERs CD.. PHoTo-LITHO.. wASHlNdON. D. C.

O. SCHNITZLER & BUT. WELAG'B.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION- EILBD MAY 12,1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,nnrann sraras Parana* envios.

OSCAR scnnrrznnn, or REMINGTON, Ann BERNARD J. Wannen, on nonwoon, omo.

sinn-Escasa.

Specication of lLetters Patent. i PatentedAug. 11, 1914.

application med May 12,1913. serial no. 767,208.

To all 'whom t may concern.' l

Be it known'that we, OSCAR SCHNITZLER and BERNARD J. WELAGE, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Remington and at Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have ointly invented certain new and useful improvements in F ire-Escapes, of which the follow ing is a specification.

Our invention relates to fire escapes, and has for its object the provision of new and usefulimprovements whereby the escaping movement in the fire escape is initiated by the weight of the person using the same; further in improved meansfor returning the mechanism to initial position upon release of the user, and the invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is an end view of our improved device, with the end wall of the case removed. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, showing the rear wall of the case re:

moved, and the fluid motor and its valves in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail in front elevation, showing the mechanism at the opening for the rope. Fig.

j 4 is a plan detail ofthe valve-operating 30 means. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the valves on the line 5 -5 of Fifi. 2, showing the valves in connected relation; and, Fig. 6 is a plan detail of the same.

11 represents the case of our improved device, which may be of suitable construction and is adapted to house the mechanism. y

12 is a drum on which the cable 13 is arranged to be wound.- The drum rotates on a shaft 14, supported in bearings 15 in the case.

A worm-wheel 16 is arranged to rotate with the drum, and is secured thereto in suitable manner. with the worm-wheel. It is rigid on a shaft 19 journaled in bearings 20 of the case. A duid-motor is arranged to operate the worm, the rotor 26 thereof being fast on the shaft 19.- The rotor 26 rotates in asuitable casing 27,'which has suitable inlet and discharge openings.` We have shown the rotor as arranged to operate in both directions and providedwith blades 23 having impact 7 faces 29, 30, the impact faces 29 being` mpacted when the rotor rotates in the direcy A worm 13 coperates tion of the arrow a; and the impact faces 30 being impacted when the rotor rotates in the opposite direction.

The fluid-motor is arranged to control the rotation of the winding drum, preventing a too rapid descent of the person using the fire escape and also causing a positive feed of the cable in the escaping operation. l/Ve have provided automatic means for initiating the rotation of the drum through the medium of the fluid-motor. Thus 31 is a rocker frame which comprises the endpieces 32, 33, respectively 4having bearings 34, 35, about the shaft 14, and connected by a. tie-rod 36. An idler roll 37 has its trunnions 38 mounted in bearings 39 of said endpieces, this idler roll receiving the rope thereabout and directing it to an opening 40 in the frame extending lengthwise of the drum. The rope is fed through this opening from the drum The end-piece 32 has an arm 46 extending therefrom. This arm has articulation with an arm 47, the articulation being shown as comprising a pin 48 on the arm 46 received in a slot 49 in the arm 47. The arm is rigid on a rock-shaft 50 journaled in a bearing 51 in the frame. An arm 52 is rigid on the rock-shaft. The arm 52 has articulation with a link 53, shown accomplished by a pin 54 on the arm 52 received in a slot 55 in the link. The link 53 has articulation, shown at 56, with a link 57 pivoted at 58 to the motor casing. The link 57 operates a valve 59 in a fluid inlet passage 60 communicating with the motor, shown accomplished by a stem 6l on the valve, the stern having articulation, shown as a pin 62, on the stem received in slots 63 in the fork-end 64 of the link 57.

The cable is provided with a suitable suspending device for the user, shown as aloop 65. When the weight of the user isreceived by the loop, there will be a rocking of the rocker-frame 31, caused on account of the weight being applied to the idler roll 37, causing said rocker-frame to rock on the shaft 14, and raising the arm 46, which, through the medium of the connections described, operates the valve 59, whereby fluid, such as water or other suitable fluid, is received from the fluid inlet passage 60 into the inlet-port 66 of the motor, whereby `the motor is operated and the drum caused to revolve, little power however being required Y to `revolve the drum by reason of thetendencywof the :Weight of the user to unwind the cablebythe presence of his Weight, ythe mo-v Vtor and worm and worm-wheel mechanism` however, A'preventing any undue speed of Vdescent'of the user and controlling the de-I j scent by the-speed ofthe motor. The movement of the rocker-frame is limited, as by a,

stopy 67 against which the rocker-frame is arranged to strike.

If desired, the mechanism may be provided with 'means for automaticall returning the cable to the drum so that tlie device may be used over and over again'for subsequent escapes. For :accomplishing this :we provide `means whereby .the rotor ofthe fluid-motor vhas rotation in opposite direcyof the rotor blades for turning `said rotor in opposite direction. The fluid is discharged through an Ioutlet-passage 70. The valves .59 .and 71 are normally :in separated relat-ion, butmeans are provided for bringing them into connectedrelation uponfoperation of therocker-frame in the escapement movement. Thus catches 7 Llion one ofthe valves cooperate -With keepers .-7 5 on the other `of the f valves for releasably connecting said Valves.

The catches are shown-on levers -76 pivoted at 7 7 .to the valve v59, -the keepers being shown-on lugscextending fromthe valve 71. A spring 78 normally causes separation of said valves fand isshown'receivedabout the valve-.stem andlasresting'on the heels 79 of said levers. The `valve 71 has la bearing 80 about the valve-stem and :is movable length- Wise thereof.

The valves 59 and 711 are normally in. sepa- V4'rated relation for closing their `.respective .valve-seats. When therocker-frame yis VVoperated ffor 4opening the valve 59, .this `valve is `raised toward .the valveV 71, andthe catches .74 arecaused to makeconnection with the keepers 7 5 for the purpose of opening .the Vvalve 71 when the valve 59 is again seated. Theseating of the valve 59 is caused by Ithe retraction of the :rocker-frame Vdue. toY the -sprinp.68, lwhen .the Weight is released from the cable, the tension ofthe spring :being fsuch vthat .itwill retract the 4rocker-frame Y `irrespective vof the weight 'of the rope or .cable itself. lWhen ythe Lvalve z59 is closed,

tion' is eectjedjbetween ,thel vinlet- .passage 60 and the inlet-port 7 3""fc'irv revrsing'rotation ofthe rotor of the Vfluid-motor and thereby causing rotation of, thedrum iin^theroppo site directionl and' V.rewin'dingvthe` cable thereon. .l y When the cable is rewound,lboth valves are causedto close, shown accomplished by a cam-plate 586 loosely reciprocating in recesses 87 in the levers 76, thecam-plate being provided with cams 88 -forseparating the levers and thereby releasing the catches from their keepers, the spring 78 causing .instant seating ofthe valve 7:1..v

For operatlng the `4carnf-plate We provide f whereby the .valve7 lis opened, commun-ica# a'lever which, as shown, comprises `a rod90,

and arms 91 and'92. The rodis shown polygonal in cross-section. `The arm 91 has a bearing 93 about said rod. This bearing has a bore 94similar in cross-section with said rod for rocking said rod.- :1t lis arranged to slide lengthwisefon said rod. TheV arm 92 i isA secured fto said rod. The Yrod :is Vj ournalecl in thimbles 95 .rockingin :bearings 96 on the case.V The armf91 has -an eye 97 through which the cableflB asses. The rope adjacentto its outer end 1s provided 1with afknob 98 too large to pass through the-eye and thereby arranged `to .contactV thel arm 91,

which operates the rocker-rod 90, owing-to et e' the polygonal form'of its bearing thereabout,-

andthereby operates the lever. The arnr9l'` is arranged to slide lengthwise of the rod 90 and the opening 40to vaccommodate the `rope to its windings on the drum.` Y

A l'nk 101 reclprocates in-a arm 92. The link 101 'has a team-slot Y105 therein which coperates `with a pin 106011 a link`v107 `reciprocating in bearings 108,V 109, in :the case. The link 107 isaquarter-twist link, `asnote the: twist therein. The Alink 107 has a cam-'slot111 therein in which a pin 1.12 ina fork 113 is received, the fork having iconnection vwith a stem 1 S114 V.which reciprocatesfina bearingy `116. The "stem 114: Y

' bearing `102 f 1n the case and hasarticulation 108 with the has articulation 11-7 with the cam-plate ,'86 r for 4reciprocatingthe same, and `thereby releasing the Ycatches betweenthe valves .when

the knob 98k strikes the arm 91. The articulation 117 `permits the cam-,plate .to readily follow the smovement of `:the-valve 59. JA

spring v1:18 retractsthe valve releasing'mech-i anism, so that the catches are returned 'to operative position vupon withdrawal of the/lf contact between 'the knob andarm. The retractionof therocker-frame is limitedfby a stop :119. l Y f Y `Having thus fully-'described our-invention, what we claim as new anddeslreto'secure ibyLetters Patent, is

1.V In a1rfire escape, `the combination of a Y drunrnia cable about saiddrum, a fluid+motor havlngl operative connectlon with-said drum for rotating the saine, a fluid-passage communicating with said fluid-motor, a valve in said passage, and a part actuated by said cable upon weight being applied thereto, said part having connection with said valve for operating the same.

2. In a fire escape, the combination of a drum, a cable about said drum, a reversible fluid-motor having operative connection with said drum for rotating the same in opposite directions, fluid-passages communicating with said fluid-motor for opposite rotations of said fluid-motor, a valve in each of said passages, a part actuated by said iiexible escapement-suspender upon weight being applied thereto, said part having connection with one of said valves for opening the same, and connecting means between said valves for causing combined movement of said valves upon reseating of said opened valve, for the purpose described.

3. In a fire escape, the combination of a drum, a cable about said drum, a reversible fluid -motor having operative connection with said drum for rotating the same in opposite directions, Huid-passages communieating with said fluid-motor for opposite rotations of said fluid-motor, a valve in each of said passages, a part actuated by said cable upon weight being applied thereto, said part having connection with one of said valves for opening the same, connecting means between said valves for causing combined movement of said valves upon reseating of said opened valve, and releasing means for releasing said connecting means,

said escapement-suspender having an actuating part thereon for said releasing means. 4. In a fire escape, the combination of a drum, a cable thereabout, a shaft which supf ports said drum, a rocker-frame pivoted about said shaft, a worm-wheel rotating with said drum,a worm meshing therewith, a fluid-motor operating said worm, and a valve for said fluid-motor, said rocker-frame having operative connection with said valve, and Said rocker-frame receiving said cable thereover and rocked by the weight of a person suspended by said cable.

5. In a lire escape, the combination of a drum, a cable tliereabout, a shaft which supports said drum, a rocker-frame pivoted about said shaft, a worm-wheel rotating said drum, a worm meshing therewith, a reversible fluid-motor operating said drum, valves for said fluid-motor, said rocker-frame having operative connection with one of said Y valves, releasable connecting means between said valves for causing combined movements of said valves, releasing means for said connecting means, and a part on said cable operating said releasing means, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. WEBER, THEREsA M. SILBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

